It is very sad that lessons have not been learned from past regeneration. How many lives are interrupted for a period whilst regeneration takes place and the housing being allocated on completion to a completely different set of neighbours. All the ties have been broken for one reason or another. Continuity is of great significance for the future of the area. Isolation seems to be the product of regeneration and with older residents it is hard to become part of the community under the new order.
In the past law and order was part of the unwritten code of behaviour in each area. Parents knew each other, everyone’s dad became your dad and unacceptable behaviour was not tolerated. The elderly were treated with respect, children ran errands for them, not for reward, but part of the social ethics they had been brought up with. Everyone looked out for each other.
Nowadays after the two lots of ‘regeneration’ has taken place, one in the 20/30s and the other in the 60/70s areas have lost their identities. The old values were still present after all the back to back houses were demolished and communities came back together. The displacement of some of the families who occupied the Victorian slums and withstood this early regeneration found the world had changed after the second one. I believe this led to the start of the breakdown of society in some areas, which has continued to this day.
Future planners need to look at this aspect of regeneration and learn that knocking down houses every 30 yrs or so is not the answer. People need to belong to an area and have a pride in that area and if the community spirit can be rekindled, a lot of problem areas will
start to recover. It will take a long time to recover but where there’s a will there’s a way.
Community Reporter
Sylvia Sharples
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